Mormon History for the Masses

Podcast #16: The Man Who Plays Elijah-An Interview with Danor Gerald

In this episode, I interview Danor Gerald, an African-American working actor in Utah commissioned to play the role of Elijah Able[s] in new official LDS Church productions. Given Ables’ position as one of a few black priesthood holders prior to the implementation of the priesthood restriction, the moves represents a marked shift towards a reckoning with a past that is anything but clean. I discuss Gerald’s work as a black actor in Utah and the significance of the Church’s move to dramatize Ables for the public eye. A story both personal and historical, Gerald offers us an intriguing look into how the LDS Church is taking steps to present an important chapter in Mormon history heretofore left neglected in Mormonism’s public discourse.